Grower Awards

2016 National Wine Awards

Tawse Winery has been named Canadian Winery of the Year at the 2016 National Wine Awards of Canada. This is the fourth time in the last seven years that Tawse Winery has received the honour.

"Our success would not be possible without the passion and hard work of our dedicated team. Our commitment to producing the highest quality and most expressive wines is paramount to every decision we make. We truly believe that our terroir and traditional approach to farming allows us to produce exceptional fruit, vintage after vintage. Respect for the land and maintaining the integrity of our soils has always been one of the pillars of our brand. " - Moray Tawse

Over 1,500 wines were entered from 230 wineries in the 2016 National Wine Awards of Canada. Congratulations to all of the winners which can be found here.

2016 Lieutenant Governor's Award Winners

The 2016 Lieutenant Governor's Wine Awards for Excellence in Ontario Wines recognized 12 wines for overall excellence, regardless of vintage or varietal from an intake of 473 wines from 71 Ontario wineries.Click here to view the full list of award winners

2016 Ontario Wine Awards

Wednesday, June 1st, 2016 - Niagara-on-the-Lake – The 22nd year of the Ontario Wine Awards showed just how dynamic the contemporary Ontario wine industry is across the province – from the large companies to the boutique and garagiste producers. This year the awards ceremony was held at Niagara College and their Benchmark Restaurant, hosted by the celebrity chef and TV personality, Michael Bonacini.

The Ontario Wine Awards recognize VQA varietal quality in 25 different categories such as Dry Riesling and Cabernet Franc, and acknowledge winners in Bronze, Silver and Gold Medal levels. There are also distinctive awards honouring the Winemaker of the Year, White Wine of the Year, Red Wine of the Year, Wine Journalism Award, and Best Label Design. Please click here to view the full list of award winners.

Grape Growers of Ontario Oaked Chardonnay Award

2015 Distinguished Leader of Brock University's Goodman School of Business

April 2016

Rossana Magnotta, founder and CEO of Magnotta Winery received the Distinguished Leader Award in recognition of her leadership abilities, entrepreneurship and contributions to the community. Magnotta Winery is the third largest winery in Ontario producing over 180 wines. Rossana is also founder of The G. Magnotta Foundation for Vector-Borne Diseases, a non-profit organization that is helping establigh the nation's first research facility for Lyme Disease.

Congratulations to all the Cuvée award winery winners, and the individuals below who were recognized for their contributions to growing and promoting the province's grape andwine industry:

Cuvée Vineyard of Excellence - Wes and Howard Lowrey, St. Davids for Best Red Vinifera for their Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard (pictured left with Matthias Oppenlaender and Julia Harnal, National Marketing Manager, BASF Canada Inc.

Regional Premier's Awards for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence 2015

Awarded for their grape optical sorter which gently de-stems the fruit and removes bugs and unwanted plant material. Puffs of air then sort the grapes by colour, size and shape. Vineland Estates Winery Inc. has been honoured with one of three Leaders in Innovation Awards for their grape optical sorter.

A new sustainability certification program launched by the Grape Growers of Ontario and the Wine Council of Ontario provides grape growers and wineries with an opportunity to earn certification for their sustainable practices. The online self assessment tool makes it easy to benchmark operations and identify areas for improvement. more information

2014 Cuvée Vineyard of Excellence

The award is sponsored by BASF and presented at the Cuvée Grand Tasting held in February, where we showcase the best Ontario VQA wines. It is in that same spirit we take the opportunity to recognize a grower who promotes excellence in their vineyard practices.

LARRY PATERSON AWARD

The Larry Paterson Award is presented at the Ontario Wine Awards to individuals who have made an exceptional contribution to the Ontario wine industry in appreciation of their commitment and passion for the VQA wines of Ontario.

2011 ONTARIO HOSTELRY INSTITUTE TOP 30 UNDER 30 AWARD

Yannick Wertsch has achieved a Top 30 Under 30 award from the Ontario Hostelry Institute. This award is an annual recognition program that celebrates the hospitality and foodservice industry’s top 30 young professionals in all sectors. Yannick is co-owner and winemaker at Between the Lines Winery and Wertsch family vineyards in Niagara.

2011 ONTARIO'S OUTSTANDING YOUNG FARMERS AWARD

Wes and Briar Wiens were selected as Ontario’s Outstanding Young Farmers for 2011. The Wiens of Gemmrich W. Nursery in Niagara-on-the-Lake received this top provincial honour at an awards ceremony on Friday March 11, 2011 in Ajax, Ontario. The Wiens were chosen from a group of farmers from across Ontario that exemplify and demonstrate innovation and progress in their agricultural careers.

2010 INTERNATIONAL WINE AND SPIRIT COMPETITION

Congratulations to Peller Estates on receiving a Gold medal for their 2007 Andrew Peller Signature Series Cabernet Sauvignon at the 2010 International Wine and Spirit Competition in the UK —a Canadian first!

2010 PREMIER'S AWARD FOR AGRI-FOOD INNOVATION EXCELLENCE

Allowing the vine to grow as naturally as possible is the way Hughes Vineyards produces the grapes that are in demand by some of the best wineries in Ontario. Over the last 10 years, Hughes Vineyards has embraced the principles of biodiversity by looking for new ways to improve natural methods of controlling vigour, pests, and vine balance while reducing the need for artificial methods. Using native Niagara flowering plants to attract natural predatory insects in large enough populations, they are able to eliminate the need for insecticides and miticides. These beneficial plants also establish a cover crop that helps to control grape vine vigour. This innovative approach has allowed Hughes Vineyards to reduce operating costs by almost 10 per cent per acre, a significant achievement

2010 PREMIER'S AWARD FOR AGRI-FOOD INNOVATION EXCELLENCE

Sweet & Sticky Inc. Ice Syrup - His idea has resulted in a new product - a rich-flavoured, non-alcoholic syrup that has many potential food applications. The syrup is made through an evaporation process that brings the grape juice to a stable syrup consistency, without boiling or caramelizing.